Department for Transport

Bus Services

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what they consider to be the reasons for the decline in bus journeys in England of 1.4 per cent, as reported in the Quarterly Bus Statistics, published in June.

baroness sugg: The latest Quarterly Bus Statistics show that were 4.38 billion passenger journeys on local bus services in England in the year ending March 2018, a 1.4% decrease when compared with a year earlier. This was largely driven by a 2.2% decrease in journeys in England outside London to 2.15 billion. In London journeys fell by 0.6% to 2.23 billion in the year ending March 2018. It is important to consider the fall in bus journeys in the context of a broader decline in trips. Data from the 2016 National Travel Survey (NTS) shows that in England trips per person excluding short walks have fallen 13% since 2002. There are a number of factors that may explain the fall in bus patronage on local bus services specifically. These include: Congestion;Levels of car ownership;Increase in online shopping;Reductions in local authority supported services

Bus Services

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of changes to bus fares on passenger behaviour.

baroness sugg: The Department for Transport’s WebTAG guidance recommends assuming that a 1% increase in bus fares will reduce trips by 0.3%. In the longer term there will be greater reductions in passenger trips. After 5 years, a 1% increase in bus fares will reduce the number of trips by 0.6% and after 10 years or longer a 1% increase in bus fares will reduce the number of trips by 0.7%. However, it is important to note that these figures are based on past trends and there is significant uncertainty around them. There have been important changes to the UK bus market in the last 10 years. The introduction of free travel for elderly and disabled people in 2008 means that the total number of trips is likely to be less responsive to a fare increase than it has been in the past. Furthermore, the Bus Services Act 2017 presents local authorities with new powers to bring about change, and unlock the potential for the bus industry to achieve more for passengers than it has in the past. Additionally, measures requiring bus operators to open up data about fares and tickets, included in the Bus Services Act 2017, will make it easier for passengers to search for best value tickets and will ensure they have a better understanding of the transport options available to them.

Bus Services

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve the data they collect on bus use.

baroness sugg: The Department for Transport’s main source of data on bus passenger journeys is the annual Public Service Vehicle (PSV) operator survey. This is a sample survey of roughly 600 operators of local bus services. The data provided from the PSV survey covers around 90 per cent of the published total passenger journey figure. Comparison with other data sources such as the National Travel Survey suggests the estimates produced from the annual PSV survey provide a robust measure of bus passenger journeys. To provide up to date figures the Department also runs a Quarterly Panel Survey. This is a quarterly survey of the 18 largest non-metropolitan bus operators, Passenger Transport Executives (for the metropolitan areas) and Transport for London which provides quarterly estimates of passenger journeys. As part of the Bus Services Act (2017), the Department for Transport is developing regulations to require bus operators and local transport authorities to provide data, in open formats, about local bus services including routes & timetable data, fares & ticket data and real time information. We are working closely with industry to develop the regulations and it is intended the requirements will be phased in over the next few years.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Wind Power

lord hunt of chesterton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to monitor any change in performance of wind turbines in on-shore and off-shore locations from their time of construction; whether they intend to publish assessments of the likely future lifetime of the wind turbine systems now being constructed in the UK; and if so, whether this information will be provided to organisations that are investing in such systems.

lord henley: The Department reviews generation performance of a range of existing and new renewables plants, including onshore and offshore wind, on an annual basis as part of setting the level of the Renewables Obligation. The most recent publication can be found here (copy also attached):https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/renewables-obligation-level-calculations-201819 The Department periodically reviews the evidence base on the generation costs of renewable electricity technologies, including their lifetimes, and when appropriate publishes reports on the topic. The most recent of these publications can be found here and attached (copy also attached): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/beis-electricity-generation-costs-november-2016 



The Renewables Obligation For 2018/19
(PDF Document, 250.27 KB)




Electricity Generation Costs
(PDF Document, 1 MB)

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Yemen: Military Intervention

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the governments of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in order to avert a humanitarian crisis in the Houthi-held port city of Hodeidah in Yemen.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are in regular contact with the Coalition about the need to ensure that any military operations in and around Hodeidah are conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law, including with regard to the protection of civilians, and do not disrupt commercial and humanitarian flows through the port. The Foreign Secretary made representations on this issue to his United Arab Emirate (UAE) and Saudi counterparts on 9 and 10 June respectively. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa also spoke with his UAE counterpart, Deputy Foreign Minister Gargash, on both 13, 16 and 19 June on this issue. ​At all levels, including through regular engagement by our Ambassadors, we have underlined the critical importance of maintaining humanitarian and commercial flows through Hodeidah and Saleef ports. We continue to urge all parties to respect international humanitarian law and prioritise the protection of civilians.

Eritrea: Mining

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the publication of the report of Eritrea Focus to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Eritrea, Mining and Repression in Eritrea: corporate complicity in human rights abuses, whether they have evidence that conscripts are used as slave labour; and what assessment they have made of the implications for companies referenced in any such evidence.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the British Embassy in Asmara regularly engage UK companies, and companies with UK investment, involved in the extractive sector in Eritrea. Discussions include their duty to comply with the legislative and regulatory requirements of operating in Eritrea, and the human rights of Eritrean nationals involved in their operations in Eritrea.The British Government will take appropriate action against companies and / or individuals who fail to comply with the relevant legislation.

Burma: Crimes against Humanity

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what actions they have taken following reports that crimes against humanity are being committed against religious or ethno-religious minorities in Burma.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign Secretary expressed his deep concern about fighting in Kachin on 5 June, and the Minister for Asia and the Pacific called on 11 May for Burma's military to respect International Humanitarian Law, show restraint and protect civilians in Kachin. In their meeting on 3 May the British Ambassador called on Burma's Commander in Chief to ensure Burma's military protected civilians during operations in Kachin.The UK has ensured the UN Security Council has called for accountability for human rights violations in Rakhine including through its 31 May letter to Burma calling on it to establish an independent and transparent investigation with international involvement. The UK also continues to support the UN Fact Finding Mission into human rights violations and abuses in Burma; we await its final report in September 2018.

Burma: Armed Conflict

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the nature of the violence perpetrated by the government of Burma against the Rohingya Muslims, Christian minorities and other minority groups.

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the violence perpetrated by the government of Burma against the Rohingya Muslims, Christian minorities and others may constitute genocide.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign Secretary has made clear that the military operations conducted in Rakhine in August and September 2017 constitute ethnic cleansing, and may even be genocide, though that should be a determination for an international court to make.The Foreign Secretary expressed his deep concern about the intensifying conflict in Kachin on 5 June, and called for Burma's military to exercise restraint and allow humanitarian access when he spoke to Burma's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi on 11 June. Officials from the British Embassy have visited Kachin in May and in June, but as I told the House of Lords on 12 June, the Government is unable to make a full assessment of the situation in Kachin State due to access restrictions.

Burma: Rohingya

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the International Criminal Court consideration of its jurisdiction over the displacement of the Rohingya Muslims, what consideration they have given to tabling a resolution at the UN Security Council to establish an investigative team to collect and preserve the evidence for possible prosecutions.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: If the Court were to consider that it has jurisdiction over the crime of deportation in the context of the situation in Bangladesh, it would be for the appropriate organs of the Court to consider how to progress any investigation in line with the provisions of the Rome Statute.  The UK co-sponsored the UN Human Rights Council resolution which set up a UN Fact Finding Mission (FFM) on human rights abuses in Burma, and subsequent resolutions that gave it the mandate and resources to collect, preserve and share evidence. Following the Special Rapporteur’s recommendations, the Government is discussing with international partners how to support evidence-collecting efforts, especially in relation to sexual violencePressure from the UN Security Council on accountability helped persuade Burma to announce plans for a Commission of Inquiry into violence in Rakhine State. We continue to emphasise that we need an accountability mechanism which is credible, transparent and impartial, and which can hold to account the perpetrators of atrocities.

Burma: Armed Conflict

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what options they have considered to ensure that the violence perpetrated in Burma is adequately assessed and those responsible brought to justice.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK co-sponsored the UN Human Rights Council Resolution in March 2017 that commissioned the Fact Finding Mission into human rights violations by military and security forces, and abuses, in Burma, in particular in Rakhine State; we await its final report in September 2018.Burma announced on 31 May that it plans to establish a Commission of Inquiry into human rights abuses in Rakhine. We have made clear that there must be a credible, transparent and impartial investigation, which holds to account the perpetrators of atrocities in Rakhine State. We will continue to work with our international partners to support those building evidence and testimony for the victims of the violence in Rakhine.The Minister for Asia and the Pacific called on 11 May for Burma's military to respect International Humanitarian Law, show restraint and protect civilians in Kachin.

Iraq: Military Intervention

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they have about Turkish military actions (1) inside Iraq under Operation Tigris Shield, and (2) in Duhok and Erbil provinces, and plans to attack the Candil Mountains; and whether such actions have been discussed in any international forum.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We have been closely following Turkey’s Operation Tigris Shield, announced in March in order to combat Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighters in the Turkey-Iraq border regions. The PKK remains a significant threat to Turkey and is an internationally proscribed terrorist organisation. We have not discussed the current operation in international fora, but will continue to engage with the Turkish Government on their operations as appropriate.

Burma: Genocide

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to evidence suggesting genocidal techniques being used by the government of Burma against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine, Christian minorities in Kachin, and other protected groups, including (1) killing members of those groups, (2) causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of those groups, and (3) deliberately inflicting on those groups conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction in whole or in part.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign Secretary has been clear that ethnic cleansing has taken place in Rakhine, and that the violence of August and September 2017 may even constitute genocide, though that would be a determination for an international court to make. We are supporting the UN Fact Finding Mission into human rights violations and abuses in Burma, in particular Rakhine; we await its final report in September 2018. On 31 May, the Burmese Government announced a Commission of Inquiry. We have made clear that there must be a credible, transparent and impartial investigation, which holds to account the perpetrators of atrocities in Rakhine State.As I told the House of Lords on 12 June, the Government is currently unable to make a full assessment of the situation in Kachin State due to access restrictions.

Burma: Religious Freedom

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken in international fora or bilaterally to address the situation of religious and ethno-religious groups in Burma.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: I raised the UK's concerns about the persecution faced by Rohingya Muslims, Christians and other minorities in Burma in my speech to the Human Rights Council of 27 February 2018.Our Embassy in Burma has been supporting local projects addressing the drivers of prejudice and inter-communal violence. In 2017 it delivered a two-day inter-faith dialogue in partnership with the Myanmar Institute of Theology; and a workshop for civil servants, parliamentarians and non-governmental organisations.We ensured that the UN Security Council letter of 31 May to Burma called for an independent and transparent domestic investigation with international involvement.

Philippines: Human Rights

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 13 June (HL8271), what assessment they have made of the assurances given by the Philippines Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs and the Philippines Ambassador in the light of continued reports of extra-judicial killings in the “war on illegal drugs”.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: While noting the assurances given by the Government of the Philippines, the UK remains concerned about the continuing reported high death toll associated with the war on drugs. We continue to underline that actions to tackle drug abuse must be carried out in full respect of the rule of law and comply with international human rights obligations. The Philippines should uphold its commitments to the promotion and protection of human rights as a member of the UN Human Rights Council. At the 38th session of the UN Human Rights Council, on 18 June, the UK urged the Philippines to ensure thorough investigations into all killings associated with the war on illegal drugs.

Department of Health and Social Care

Human Papillomavirus

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the strain of human papilloma virus (HPV) is tested for when an HPV infection is foundinwomen who were offered HPV vaccination; and if so, what were the rates of the different strains found inwomen who were (1) 13–18 years old, and (2) older than 18.

lord o'shaughnessy: Human papillomavirus (HPV) testing is performed on specimens collected from some women attending for cervical screening as part of the NHS Cervical Screening Programme (women with borderline or low grade abnormalities, and women in areas piloting HPV primary testing). This test identifies if a high-risk HPV infection is present, but does not identify all the specific HPV types which are present.Public Health England has also been monitoring the prevalence of type-specific genital HPV infections through surveys that use specimens from 16-24-year-old sexually active women in England who would have been eligible to receive the HPV vaccine. The latest data, including specimens collected to the end of 2016, has shown a clear reduction in the two high-risk HPV types included in the vaccine and in some other closely related HPV types not included in the vaccine among women aged 16-18 years old. Declines were also seen in women aged 19-21 years old. The prevalence of other high-risk HPV types has not changed.

Human Papillomavirus

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether colposcopy clinics test all human papilloma virus (HPV) infections for strain types in cohorts of women who were offered HPV vaccination; and if not, why not.

lord o'shaughnessy: Human papillomavirus (HPV) triage testing is performed in the screening programme on specimens collected from women attending for cervical screening which show borderline or low grade abnormalities. If this test identifies a high-risk HPV infection then the woman will be referred to colposcopy. No further HPV testing is conducted in colposcopy on these specimens to identity the specific HPV types. It is not the role of colposcopy to test HPV infections.However, Public Health England does carry out surveillance which has demonstrated a reduction in the HPV types included in the vaccines since the introduction of the national vaccination programme.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the rate of ectropions in the cohorts who received human papilloma virus vaccinations.

lord o'shaughnessy: Data are not collected on the rate of ectropions in the cohorts who received human papillomavirus vaccinations.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the efficacy of the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination programme in women and girls who may already have had exposure to HPV infection, either naturally or as the result of sexual abuse, prior to receiving that vaccine.

lord o'shaughnessy: The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines have demonstrated very high vaccine efficacy against the vaccine types and related disease in clinical trials when administered to HPV-naïve women (i.e. women with no current or previous vaccine-type HPV infection). However, results from these trials also demonstrated that HPV vaccination of women with a current vaccine-type HPV infection had little or no effect on clearance of the existing infection. There is also some evidence of a slightly reduced vaccine efficacy against pre-cancerous abnormalities among young women currently not infected with HPV but with serological evidence of a previous exposure. Public Health England has conducted surveillance to monitor the prevalence of type-specific genital HPV infections in 16-24 year old sexually active women in England who would have been eligible to receive the HPV vaccine. The latest data, including specimens collected to the end of 2016, demonstrated a vaccine effectiveness of 82.0% against infections with HPV16/18 among women vaccinated at age 15 years or younger. The vaccine effectiveness in women who would have been vaccinated at age 16 to 18 years old was 48.7%. This suggests that the vaccine works best when given to young girls before they are exposed to HPV. However it also shows that older girls still benefit from vaccination.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure that the cohort of women who have received human papilloma virus vaccinations are aware that they should still attend cervical smear test appointments.

lord o'shaughnessy: The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme states in patient communications that cervical screening (smear tests) will continue to be important whether women have had the HPV vaccine or not. Women aged 25 to 64 who are registered with a general practitioner are automatically invited for cervical screening. This includes women who have had the HPV vaccination as the vaccine does not guarantee completed protection of against all high risk strains of HPV. The importance of cervical screening is also reiterated online on NHS Choices.

Health Services: Expenditure

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they can provide a breakdown of health service spending by gender since 2008.

lord o'shaughnessy: The information is not available in the format requested.The majority of National Health Service funding is allocated to NHS England, primarily for the commissioning of healthcare services from a range of primary and secondary care providers. NHS England allocates funding to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). The model for CCG allocations is made up of three separate formulas – CCG core allocations, primary care and specialised services. Each formula is made up of a number of segments (for example, services covered by CCG core allocations include the segments maternity, mental health, prescribing, general and acute and supply needs). Each segment may be affected by the local population’s attributes, for example sex, age, morbidity, rates of disability, excess deaths and deprivation, plus wider factors associated with health needs including housing status and unemployment.The statistical allocations formula is built up from data, which the NHS holds on individuals and their use of hospital services. This person-based approach helps ensure accuracy and takes account of local variation in health needs. Data for patients in general practitioner (GP) practices are linked to their treatment records, to calculate overall cost of care. The costs of health services for millions of real patients over a number of years are reviewed. Statistical analysis identifies factors, which can be used to predict future spending, for a given sex-age group in any GP practice in England (all data used is non-identifiable). Allocations reflect and build on information about spending patterns, but they do not report past spending patterns and therefore it is not possible to calculate costs per patient and so therefore not possible to calculate costs by gender over a given time period.

Dental Services

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government by what mechanism units of dental activity are distributed to dental practitioners.

lord o'shaughnessy: Dental contracts and agreements are agreed with dental contract holders by NHS England. Contracts are held by the part of NHS England (the area team) responsible for that region. Each contract has a set value and agreed level of dental activity to be delivered for that value per year. Activity is measured in metrics known as units of dental activity. Contracts are let by tender under public procurement regulations. The current system was established in 2006. Where a contract existed prior to 2006, it was transferred into the new system and values set under a national formula used to transfer all then existing contracts from the pre-2006 system to the current system.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the recent meeting of the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisation (JCVI), whether they have received a recommendation from the JCVI regarding the extension of the human papillomavirus vaccination to all boys; and if so, when they will announce their decision in this regard.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Department has not yet received the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s final advice on human papillomavirus vaccination for boys. The Department expects to receive this advice imminently and will consider this as a matter of priority. A decision will be made as soon as possible.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's latest assessment of the proportion of cancers which are caused by vaccine-preventable types of human papillomavirus.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) published an interim statement on extending the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination to adolescent boys in July 2017. The interim statement and the following table set out the proportion of cancers attributable to HPV infection by disease, as modelled by Public Health England (PHE). A copy of the JCVI Interim Statement on Extending HPV Vaccination to Adolescent Boys is attached. Cancer site (females)High-risk HPV type (attribution fraction)CervixHPV16/18/31/33/45/52/58/other (35/39/51/56/59/68) (95.1%)VulvaHPV16/18/33 (12.7%)VaginaHPV16 (53.7%)AnusHPV16/18/33 (77.0%)OropharynxHPV16 (24.7%)Oral cavityHPV16/18 (1.1%)LarynxHPV16/18 (1.9%) Cancer site (males)High-risk HPV type (attribution fraction)AnusHPV16/18/33 (77.0%)PenisHPV16/18 (28.6%)OropharynxHPV16 (12.8%)Oral cavityHPV16/18 (1.4%)LarynxHPV16/18 (0.6%) Note: Attributable fraction for high risk HPV types associated with cancer as modelled by PHE and based on International Agency for Research on Cancer reviews. The JCVI most recently considered HPV vaccination on 6 June 2018, and the minutes of that meeting will be published on or before 18 July 2018.



Extending_HPV_Vaccination
(PDF Document, 219.47 KB)

Medical Records: Data Protection

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord O'Shaughnessy on 3 May (HL7111), who are the members of the (1) National Data Opt-out Advisory Group, and (2) National Data Opt-out Editorial Board.

lord o'shaughnessy: As of 15 June 2018, membership of the National Data Opt-out Advisory Group is comprised as follows:- Association of Directors of Adult Social Services;- Association of Directors of Children’s Services;- Association of Medical Research Charities;- British Medical Association;- Cancer Research UK;- Care Provider Alliance;- Clinical Commissioning Group/Trust representation;- Genetics Alliance UK;- Healthwatch;- Local Government Association;- Macmillan;- National Association for Patient Participation;- National Data Guardian Panel;- NHS Health Research Authority;- Patient and Public Voice Partner;- Professional Records Standards Body;- Richmond Group;- Royal College of General Practitioners;- Royal College of Nursing;- Royal College of Physicians; and- Wellcome Trust. As of 15 June 2018, membership of the National Data Opt-out Editorial Board is:- NHS Digital;- NHS England;- Wellcome Trust;- Department of Health and Social Care;- General practitioner representative;- Patient representative; and- Association of Medical Research Charities.

Nurses: Vacancies

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many beds in English hospitals have been closed due to nursing staff shortages in each year since 2015; which NHS Trusts currently have the highest number of bed closures resulting from nursing staff shortages; and what assessment they have made of the relationship between availability of affordable living accommodation andnursing staff shortages.

lord o'shaughnessy: Data is not collected centrally surrounding bed closures due to nursing staff shortages. NHS England publishes quarterly information on the total number of available bed days and the total number of occupied bed days by consultant main specialty.Alongside support provided for care outside of hospitals, the Government provided £337 million of winter funding announced at the autumn budget in 2017 which helped the National Health Service to open over 2,600 beds during peak times of demand.The NHS is increasing nurse training places by 25% - with 5,000 additional nurse training places available every year from September 2018 – which is one of the biggest increases in NHS history. Currently there are over 52,000 nurses in training.We recognise that housing costs can be a factor affecting the recruitment and retention of nursing staff. In October 2017 the Government announced that when surplus NHS land is sold, first right of refusal on affordable housing built on the site would be offered to NHS employees, with an ambition to benefit up to 3,000 staff.

Vaccination

baroness masham of ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation considers the potential impact of a vaccination programme on the use of antibiotics when recommending the inclusion of a vaccine in the national routine immunisation schedule.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation regularly review impact and cost-effectiveness modelling when considering inclusion of a vaccine in the national routine vaccination programme. Modelling will take all relevant costs and benefits into account, where those costs and benefits can be reasonably quantified. Where evidence is available to quantify a reduction in antibiotic prescribing following the introduction of a vaccination programme, then any associated cost-savings could be included.

Vaccination

baroness masham of ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatplans they have to develop a national strategy for vaccination.

lord o'shaughnessy: There are currently no plans to develop a national strategy for vaccination.Vaccination plays a significant role in preventing disease, disability and death and the Government is totally committed to the United Kingdom’s world leading vaccination programme.The vaccination programme in England protects against 16 different diseases and is based on the expert advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). Under the NHS Constitution there is a right for patients and the public to receive the vaccinations that the JCVI recommends should be received under a National Health Service-provided national immunisation programme. The programme is commissioned and delivered through NHS England and Public Health England, supported by robust disease surveillance systems.

Infectious Diseases: Vaccination

baroness masham of ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what impact the UK immunisation schedule has had on the reduction of cases of infectious diseases for which vaccines are available on the NHS.

lord o'shaughnessy: Public Health England (PHE) conducts routine surveillance for all vaccine preventable diseases and publishes Health protection Reports on a quarterly or annual basis online on Gov.uk. The Health Protection Report Laboratory confirmed cases of measles, mumps and rubella, England: January to March 2018 is attached as an example. PHE evaluates vaccine effectiveness for its programmes and generates evidence in the form of peer reviewed publications on a regular basis. For example, prior to the introduction of routine immunisation against diphtheria in 1942, there were 50,804 reported cases in 1941 across England and Wales. This fell to one laboratory confirmed case in 2014, representing a 99.9% reduction. In 1967, before the introduction of routine measles immunisation, there were 460,407 reported cases in England and Wales. This declined to 377 laboratory confirmed cases in 2017, representing a 99.9% decline. More recently, in 1999 at the time of introducing a national programme against Group C Meningococcal disease, there were 883 confirmed cases. By 2014, this had declined to 28 confirmed cases – a reduction of 97%. 



Laboratory_confirmed_cases_of_MMR_England_January_
(PDF Document, 394.86 KB)

Vaccination

baroness masham of ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what analysis they have conducted on the potential impact of leaving the EU on vaccine supply within the UK.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Department commissioned an assessment of the impact of leaving the European Union on the medicines supply chain including centrally procured vaccines and public health countermeasures within the United Kingdom. Work on the assessment is ongoing. It is in the interest of both the UK and the EU to avoid disruption in the timely access of treatment; and to ensure that cross-border trade with the EU is frictionless as possible.

Department for International Development

St Helena: Ports

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the new wharf at Rupert’s Bay, St Helena, will be fully operational.

lord bates: The Rupert’s Wharf is in use and the Government of St Helena is developing a business case to expand its operations. This will include options for funding and timescales for completion.

St Helena: Ports

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what isthe reason for the delay between the completion of the construction of the new wharf at Rupert’s Bay, St Helena, and the commencement of the construction of the supporting infrastructure such as container lay-down areas.

lord bates: The Rupert’s Wharf is in use and the Government of St Helena is developing a business case to expand its operations. This will include options for funding and timescales for completion.

St Helena: Ports

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what the design life will be for the supporting infrastructure at Rupert’s Bay, St Helena, including container lay-down areas.

lord bates: The Government of St Helena is developing a business case for the supporting infrastructure at Rupert’s Bay. The detailed design work will be the next step in the process and will determine the design life among other value for money choices.

St Helena: Ports

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the additional cost in terms of both time and money of off-loading ships’ cargo at St Helena in cases where it is necessary for the cargo to be off-loaded at the new wharf at Rupert’s Bay and then ferried by barge to the old wharf at James’s Bay due to the absence of supporting infrastructure such as container lay-down areas at Rupert’s Bay.

lord bates: The costs of transferring freight from Rupert’s Wharf to James Bay are included in the St Helena Government’s draft budget for 2018/19, which is yet to be agreed by St Helena’s Elected Members. Through our programme of financial aid, DFID will contribute the majority of funds to that budget. Since the new air service and associated sea freight arrangements have been put in place, the cost to the St Helena and UK taxpayers are significantly less than under the previous arrangements.

St Helena: Airports

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the possible impact on the running of the airport on St Helena of the current operators of the airport, Basil Read, voluntarily entering a Business Rescue process; and what contingency plans they are developing to maintain operation of the airport.

lord bates: We are confident that air services to St Helena will not be affected in the short term as Basil Read Ltd pursues a business rescue process. Alongside the St Helena Government, we will ensure alternative plans are available to continue airport operations in the event that they become necessary.

St Helena: Aviation

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect the second flight each week to St Helena to commence.

lord bates: Twice weekly commercial flights to St Helena for the 2018/19 peak visitor season are scheduled to commence on Tuesday 4 December 2018.

Department for Education

Teachers: Migrant Workers

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reported difficulties experienced by the London Diocesan Board for Schools in obtaining restricted certificates of sponsorship for teacher visas; and of the impact this may have on teacher recruitment in London.

lord agnew of oulton: The government recognises the important contribution that international teachers, and other highly skilled migrants, make to the UK and we keep all of our immigration routes under review. On 15 June, the government announced changes to the allocation of places within the Tier 2 (General) cap of 20,700 migrants. The change will be implemented through amended immigration rules coming into effect on 6 July 2018. It will exempt all doctors and nurses needed in the UK from the cap. This change, which is intended to be temporary, alleviates pressure on the NHS. It also creates extra space within the cap for other sectors of the economy, including international teachers. As part of this announcement, the government will be asking the independent Migration Advisory Committee to review the full composition of the Shortage Occupation List.

Children in Care: Boarding Schools

lord lexden: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have plans to help more children in care to secure places in state and independent boarding schools.

lord agnew of oulton: This government wants every child, whatever their background and no matter what challenges they face, to have access to a world-class education that prepares them for life in the modern world. This is particularly important for looked-after children who start with the disadvantage of their pre-care experiences and who may also have special educational needs.It is for this reason that we launched the Boarding School Partnerships (BSP) Information Service which is aimed at both independent and state boarding schools. This will give local authorities the tools and information they need to consider boarding as an option for children in their care. We believe that this could be beneficial for some children in or on the edge of care.The BSP Information Service, in partnership with the Norfolk County Council and the Norfolk Boarding School Partnership, recently published research on positive outcomes for vulnerable children following placements in boarding. This research identified a number of benefits including reducing the likelihood of a child going into care and improved educational outcomes. While this is not suitable for all children, we would urge local authorities to consider boarding as an option if it is suitable for the child in question.

Students: Loans

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government which investors purchased student loans sold by the Government as part of the £1.7 billion sale of Pre-2012 (Plan 1) Income Contingent Student Loans in December 2017.

viscount younger of leckie: The sale from the pre-2012 (plan 1) English student loan book, which was completed in December 2017, took place by means of a securitisation. This involved transferring the loan pool to a new independent English-domiciled company (“the Issuer”). This company is registered as ‘Income Contingent Student Loans 1 (2002-2006) Plc’. In turn the Issuer has issued to investors securities in the form of notes representing the rights to the remaining future repayments. The individual names of investors are commercially sensitive and are not publicly available.

Ministry of Justice

Child Arrangement Orders

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many residence orders were given by the family courts to fathers in 2017, and how many to mothers.

lord keen of elie: A child arrangements order provides for a child to live with and spend time with a person or persons named in the order and replaced separate contact and residence orders in 2014. Such orders may address various arrangements for a child’s upbringing involving more than one person. The welfare of the child is the court’s paramount concern when making any decision about a child’s upbringing, including with whom the child is to live or spend time with. The Ministry of justice publishes data on the number of child arrangements orders made in respect of contact and residence. Statistics can be obtained at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/family-court-statistics-quarterly in Table 4. However, the Department does not collate figures centrally on the applicant’s connection to the child. This information could only be obtained by checking each case file at disproportionate cost.

Slavery: Young People

lord ponsonby of shulbrede: To ask Her Majesty's Government in what proportion of cases in the youth court in which a defendant is charged with supply of drugs or possession with intent to supply has the statutory defence of modern slavery, under section 45 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, been used.

lord ponsonby of shulbrede: To ask Her Majesty's Government in what proportion of cases referred by the youth court through the National Referral Mechanism, following the use of the statutory defence of modern slavery, the court receives a recommendation from the National Referral Mechanism within 45 days.

lord ponsonby of shulbrede: To ask Her Majesty's Government in what proportion of cases referred by the youth court through the National Referral Mechanism, following the use of statutory defence of modern slavery, a youth court receives a recommendation that the defendant is a victim of trafficking or modern slavery.

lord keen of elie: The Ministry of Justice does not hold data on the use of the defence in section 45 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. Neither does Crown Prosecution Service data capture such information. The Home Office is responsible for the National Referral Mechanism. Referrals are made by designated First Responders which do not include a court. In practice an NRM referral made during court proceedings where the defendant relies on the section 45 defence would be made by the police or another First Responder. Data on NRM referrals made during court proceedings is not collated centrally and could only be provided, through examination of individual NRM referrals and court transcripts, at disproportionate cost.

Northern Ireland Office

A and L Goodbody

lord kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty's Government what professional fee payments have been made to the law firm A & L Goodbody by (1) the Northern Ireland Office, and (2) the Crown Solicitor's Office, in each of the last ten years for which figures are available.

lord duncan of springbank: In the last 10 years the Northern Ireland Office has not made any fee payments to A & L Goodbody.The Crown Solicitor’s Office works independently from Government and I suggest that the Noble Lord write to the Crown Solicitor directly requesting this information.

Treasury

Credit Unions

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to review the legislation covering credit unions.

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what lessons, if any, they have learnt from the credit union movement in Northern Ireland.

lord bates: The government remains committed to supporting credit unions, which provide vital services to financially under-served communities and contribute to the diversity of the UK’s financial services sector. Government engages closely with representatives of the credit union sector throughout the UK to understand how credit unions may best be supported. This includes speaking to Northern Ireland specific trade bodies and maintaining an ongoing relationship with the devolved Department for Economy in Northern Ireland to understand any issues specific to Northern Ireland’s credit union sector.Government’s engagement with the credit union sector includes ongoing consideration of its legislative framework. For example, in 2014 Government conducted a Call for Evidence (‘British Credit Unions at 50’) on credit unions. Several respondents asked for changes to the legislation governing credit unions, and in its response, Government committed to actively consider legislative changes in the next Parliament. At Autumn Budget 2017, Government committed to raising the geographical common bond limit for credit unions from 2 to 3 million. This change came into effect in April 2018.All changes to credit union legislation must be considered alongside the need to maintain an appropriate regulatory regime for credit unions. A looser legislative framework would likely require increased regulation which might be inappropriate for small, community based institutions.

VAT

lord marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many businesses in the UK are registered as (1) above the VAT threshold, and (2) below the VAT threshold.

lord marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to change the £85,000 VAT threshold.

lord marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the threshold for VAT registration in each member state of the EU.

lord bates: The latest published statistics show that in the last year for which figures are available (2016-17), there were approximately 2,309,000 VAT registered businesses. Of these, approximately 1,179,000 were registered above the VAT threshold, and approximately 1,130,000 were registered below the VAT threshold. The Office of Tax Simplification noted in their review of VAT published last year that the current design of the VAT threshold may be dis-incentivising small businesses from growing. The Chancellor at Autumn Budget recognised these concerns about the cliff edge nature of the threshold, but also noted that the threshold has the benefit of keeping the majority of UK businesses out of VAT altogether, and was therefore not minded to reduce the threshold, but would consult on whether its design could better incentivise growth. The Government therefore launched a call for evidence to explore how the threshold could better incentivise growth at Spring Statement. This call for evidence closed on 5 June, and the Government will respond later this year. In the meantime, the threshold will remain at £85,000 for two years from April 2018. The European Commission publishes details of VAT registration thresholds in the Member States. Their latest edition (April 2018) can be found on their website.